Guangfu Pagoda

Guangfu Pagoda

Guangfu Pagoda is a cultural relic protection unit of Jiangsu Province.

Guangfu Pagoda sits atop Tortoise Hill (also known as Pagoda Hill) and is the landmark of Guangfu Town.

Guangfu Pagoda was originally named the Sheli Buddha Pagoda, and it once housed the Avatamsaka Sutra and the relics of Master Wuchue, the founding monk of Guangfu Lecture Temple.

Guangfu Pagoda is square in shape, with seven stories on each of its four sides, standing 25 meters tall, and is constructed from a combination of brick and wood. It houses forty-nine Buddha statues and has eighty-eight steps. The pagoda was built during the Dading era of the Liang Dynasty (535–546). Guangfu Ancient Town centers around Guangfu Pagoda, surrounded by a 2-kilometer area of small bridges and flowing streams encircling Pagoda Hill. In 1999, the local government restored the pagoda again and developed Tortoise Hill into Pagoda Hill Park, with Guangfu Pagoda as its main feature. The park features a camphor tree garden, a plum grove, and a Sino-Japanese Friendship Cherry Blossom Garden. Meandering stone paths lead visitors to the teahouse to the north, and when looking back south, a pool of clear water reflects a stone turtle stretching its neck northward. A gentle breeze brings the tinkling of the pagoda’s eaves bells, stirring the imagination and making visitors linger. To the east of the pagoda lies Ink Spring, also called Ink Pool. Legend says that when Chen Guoyewang wrote works such as the "Yu Di Yu Pian" here, he washed his inkstone in the stone pool.

Guangfu Town: Located in the western suburbs of Suzhou and by Taihu Lake, Guangfu Town is 21.5 kilometers from the city center. The town covers a land area of 62 square kilometers, with about 160 square kilometers of Taihu water area and approximately 32 kilometers of shoreline. It administers 10 villages (communities) with a permanent population of 63,000.

Known as the “Land of Scenic Lakes and Mountains, and a Blessed Paradise,” Guangfu boasts superior ecological resources, beautiful natural scenery, and rich cultural heritage. Emperor Qianlong visited here during all six of his southern tours. The town is home to more than twenty peaks of various sizes, including Dengwei Mountain, Xuemu Mountain, and Xiqi Mountain, as well as lakes such as Dongyan and Xiyuan. It is famous for attractions like Xiangxuehai, Situ Temple, … More details about Guangfu Town++

Further reading:

· Fourth Batch of Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units